Indonesia's mining advocacy network JATAM is campaigning to stop World Bank support for a nickel and cobalt mine which will destroy forests and livelihoods on Halmahera Island, eastern Indonesia. The following report is extracted from a petition opposing Bank support, and other JATAM sources.

The controversial nickel and cobalt mining project is being developed by PT Weda Bay - a venture involving French, Japanese and Indonesian companies.

While this year's parliamentary and presidential elections have been dominating political life in Indonesia in recent months, the issue of climate change took a low priority on the competing parties' manifestos. Meanwhile, the government's much-criticised regulation on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) has been issued. Twenty projects are now underway in the country.

The first World Oceans Conference in Manado, North Sulawesi, was the scene of a police clamp-down on civil society in May, when two leading members of WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia) were arrested and sixteen other people were deported. Parallel CSO activities had been organised to highlight the need to recognise and protect the rights of small-scale fisherfolk in international marine negotiations.

In April the Indonesian people elected their paliamentary representatives. Partai Demokrat, the party of incumbent president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), secured the strongest position with around 20% of the seats. On 8th July are the elections for president and vice-president, with three pairs of candidates in the running: SBY and Boediono, Megawati and Prabowo, and Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto. What are the prospects for ecological justice?